Gefen, Wolf is only mean to one person – himself. I wish he’d stop, since, as you point out, he has very common sense things to say, even when I disagree with him. I do wish he’d not play devil’s advocate soo much, but it does make a person think an issue to the depths when he does.
As far as cards go, my boys took a deck of cards to play with at cheder one day (in EY) and they were told to take it home, that it was goyishe zachin. I’m not sure how but I think unless there’s a real issur then we can’t make everything forbidden for kids to play, especially where I live and there are so few permissible things for them to do. Really,what’s wrong with playing go fish? You and Goq were really having fun.